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Auto Delta, a successful partnership with TecDoc and Tips4y

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September 8, 2021

14 MIN of Reading

TIPS Talks with Marcelo Silva | General Director of Auto Delta

AutoDelta is one of the most important aftermarket players in Portugal and a successful user of TecDoc B2B Webshop (with purchasing module) as a solid platform to strengthen its position in the market and ensure its growth.

We spoke to Marcelo Silva, Managing Director of AutoDelta, about his vision of the market, the challenges of e-commerce and the benefits of collaborating with TecDoc and Tips4y.

Tell us a about yourself, about the business and Auto Delta company

Auto Delta, which will be celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, is one of the leading distributors of car parts in Portugal. This long history has been shaped by the incremental development of this family-run company: from a small store selling to the public to a wholesale business importing car parts and distributing them on the national market. At the moment, Auto Delta's portfolio is certainly one of the leading in the Portuguese Aftermarket, covering the needs of a constantly changing and diversifying car parc, which ensures that all those who work with us are highly capable of responding to the challenges of the market on a daily basis.

VISIT Auto Delta WEBSITE

1. When was TecDoc Webshop implemented? What was its purpose?

The TecDoc Webshop was launched in 2007, when the need for a digital presence was not yet perceived as vital. Even so, we believed in the product and made this investment not only so that we could diversify our customer base, who would then be able to buy products from us much more easily, but also to let the whole market know the real size of Auto Delta's portfolio.

2. What do you value most using TecDoc Webshop?

Given the tools and more effective response capacity that the TecDoc Webshop provided, we can undoubtedly say that it has been absolutely crucial in achieving the results we have been aiming for over the years. The credibility of the TecDoc Webshop and its data, the flexibility of use and a better buying experience for our customers: these are all key factors in the success of our business and the tool itself.

3. How has eCommerce been developing in the Portuguese aftermarket?

If a few years ago eCommerce was something that only a few people paid attention to, or considered as an eccentricity only used abroad, the truth is that those who aren't there simply don't exist. The arrival of giant platforms selling this type of product directly to the end consumer has further accelerated the digitization of many of those players who were still on the sidelines and missing out on sales opportunities. The truth is that anyone who wants to succeed in this market must have a well-defined eCommerce strategy, in this case B2B, with realistic goals.

4. What changes and challenges do you think eCommerce brings to the aftermarket?

We don't believe in revolutions, but in gradual processes of adaptation and subsequent massification. That's how we started this venture and, for a long time, the adoption was only gradual. The truth is that the pressure placed by B2C eCommerce platforms is quite high and presents us with major challenges in the future. So, like any wholesaler, we have to support, educate and sponsor the efforts of our retail partners who are under even more pressure, making them able to respond and make a difference in their market.

5. What are your plans and ambitions for the future?

Our plans and ambitions are to fulfill in the future the ambitions of Auto Delta's founders: Armindo Romão and Catarina Luísa who, with a lot of effort, have been able to sustain a growth seen by many as surprising, but which, “in-house”, is supported by a very rational approach to financial control combined with the development of a portfolio that, proportionally, offers solutions for the majority of the cars that belong to the national car parc.

6. TecDoc has launched Data Quality Management (DQM). How would you rate this initiative?

Any tools that enable us to provide a better and safer service to our partners are very much appreciated. Data and its quality are essential in any 21st century business and knowing that it has a huge influence on product choice could actually lead to a possible reduction in returns, a real problem in the aftermarket.

7. What do you think of the new features such as Smart Search or the Multi-Shopping Cart?

In fact, the evolution of the platform we use and the tools made available to all those who use it never stop surprising us. If, on the one hand, Smart Search allows for greater security and confidence in the correct identification of parts, Multi-Shopping Cart even allows our commercial partners to precisely select the content of their orders. These innovations will increase confidence in the platform, a key factor in the success of Auto Delta's commercial strategy, as well as a possible reduction in returns, a real logistical and economic challenge in our sector.

8. How do you evaluate the partnership with TecAlliance and Tips4y over the years?

We can only praise this partnership, which has been going for several years now. Auto Delta never forgets its partners and is very grateful to all of them and, in the case of TecAlliance and Tips4y, it is important to note that this is a very long-lasting partnership that has been decisive for the results we have achieved over the years. Having said that, and given the growing investment and innovation of the platform, we can only predict that this partnership will be preserved and intensified for many more years to come.

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